New To Hockey

Field Hockey Basics

So, you're new to hockey here's a quick beginners guide to bring you up to speed in two minutes. Hockey is played by two teams of eleven players and just like football each team has one goalkeeper with the aim being to get the ball into the goal, like football the pitch is rectangular with a goal at each end of the pitch. The pitch is ninety-one point four meters in length which is roughly the same length as the smallest permitted football pitch with a width of fifty five meters which is 60 yards.

The origins of hockey can be traced to ancient Egypt, Persia and Greece but the game as we know it was developed in Europe in the late 19th century back in the day hockey used to be played on grass but these days it's played on synthetic surfaces that means the ball runs faster and more smoothly although there are a lot of similarities with football the big difference is the sticks. importantly you can't use both sides unlike ice hockey so that means players have to be supremely skilful also unlike football there are rolling subs with 40 to 60 substitutions per game.

Players can dribble, hit, push or flick the ball, the object of the game is to get into the shooting circle known as the D and then score by hitting the ball past the keeper and across the goal line. Goals can only be scored from within this circle, the aim of the game is to score more goals than your opponent’s.

There are two umpires who work together to manage the game it requires high levels of fitness with players covering about eight or nine kilometres a game, it's fast and furious and you need balls to play it balls that look like this roughly the same size as an orange.

The goal or the cage as they say stateside is three point six, six metres wide and two point one four metres high which is about 12 foot by 7 foot defended by this person the goalkeeper. Keepers have way more equipment than the players, we just wear shin pads and mouth guards.

To watch and understand hockey you'll need to know about free hits, self passes, penalty corners, penalty strokes, the fouls, the cards, stick skills and tackling but overall, it's all about scoring more goals than your opponent’s. Stop the clock stop the clock Oh Hockey is one of the most entertaining skilful sports and to make sure you're up to speed check out the rest of our videos.

Umpire Signals

View the below video to understand umpire signals and what gesture means what during a game.

There are so many different signals from the umpires that sometimes it can get a little confusing but if you're new to hockey here are a few of the main ones to get you started. Free hit this is pretty much the equivalent to footballs free kick and is given for anything from the stick tackle to an obstruction. Speaking of obstruction that has its own signal which looks like this, other common signals you might see at the 15 meter hits, kick back, it's a bit like footballs goal kick but a defender can take it and it's always in line with where the ball went out of play across the baseline and yes you've guessed it it's 15 meters from the goal line you'll also likely come across the following; Penalty strokes, a bit like a penalty in football but don't kick it in the goal you Wally, goal score which is pretty obvious but not to be confused with a penalty corner, but that needs a video to itself so make sure you check out our video on penalties.

The 5m Rule

What is the five meter rule in hockey? Find our when does it apply and what a player should do.

In hockey you'll often hear people refer to the 5-meter rule and if you've never watched hockey before this might sound complicated but it isn't let me tell you why. For free hits and putting the ball back into play from the side lines between the 23 meter lines that's this area here only opponents must be 5 meters away.

I've made it guys easy right here's where it can get a little more complicated so pay attention if there's an attacking free hit in the 23 meter area including sidelines and corners then players from both teams need to be 5 meters away from where the free hit is taken.

If the foul takes place between the hard line of the D and the dotted line at the edge of the D then the free hit has to be brought back and taken from the dotted line for defensive hits such as a 15 meter hit and sidelines within the defence of 23 meter area. Got it good so keep an eye out for that next time you're watching a game.

Green, Yellow and Red Cards

Two minutes off, five minutes off or gone from the game, which is which?

Sometimes in hockey players can do things that are just a little bit naughty so umpires have a range of cards to penalize players for this. A green card is used as an official warning to players who've broken the rules with minor offenses it's the most mild type of card a player can receive and an international level results in two minutes in the symbol you can get a green card for anything from a bad challenge or tackle to ill disciplines such as deliberately not retreating five metres.

I've made it guys or being rude to an umpire yellow cards are a step up from the green card that's that last challenge okay yellow and results in a suspension of at least five minutes if the offense is serious then additional time may be given to the player by the umpire. Unlike football two yellows don't equal a red but the time served off the pitch might increase for a second yellow.

Red cards are reserved for the most serious offenses resulting in a permanent sending off and possible suspension for future matches. A red card is shown for things such as overly physical play and the most serious forms of ill discipline as with most sports everyone has a different opinion on what deserves a read this is not Jerry Springer is that a sending off yeah I reckon it is.

What is dangerous play?

A game with sticks, hard hitting shots and fast paced running what is considered dangerous?

So what constitutes as dangerous play well basically you're playing a sport with a great big stick and a ball that travels almost 200 kilometres an hour. Hockey is definitely not a game for wimps the umpire will exercise his or her discretion on many matters relating to dangerous play but a few things to watch out for include hitting the ball above the knee although if the ball doesn't hit anyone the umpire is unlikely to call the foul. Here's a few examples not dangerous, dangerous, not dangerous, dangerous, top players know what constitutes as dangerous play oh and Fighting's definitely dangerous.

How do you score a goal?

So how do you score a goal in hockey ok so yes you do need to hit a goal into the net, but this needs to be from a player within the D. So you can score a goal like this, like this, like this, even like this. You can learn more about penalty corners in our other video. What are you waiting for go and score me some goals! But remember goals can only be scored within the D, its not hard to remember.

Penalty Corners

What is a penalty corner? How is it awarded? What are the players roles?

If you're watching hockey you'll probably see loads of penalty corners, what are they I hear you ask, well pay attention. An attacker also known as the injector places the ball here and boom you're ready to roll.

The attacking team can have as many players as they want but realistically probably won't push their whole team forward in case of the defensive team launches a counter-attack. These players line up at the head of the D the injector sends the ball in it needs to travel outside the circle before anyone can score a goal typically one player will stop the ball allowing a teammate to then flick hit or slip the ball.

There are so many combinations here and teams will develop ever increasingly complex set pieces it's a bit like American football with the offense trying to out think the defence and create a goal scoring opportunity.

It's basically attack versus defence the main thing to remember here is that a hit can cross the goal line no higher than the backboard but a flick for a scoop can be any height after the first shot is completed normal rules apply it all ends of a goal is scored and the attack win or no goal is scored and the defence wins.